In a shocking incident, a fourth standard student strangulated himself to death in Kokernag area of Anantnag district, police said today.
The deceased is Sohaib Ahmad son of Manzoor Ahmad Hajam, aged 9, of Bemdoora village of Kokernag.
“The child had tied a rope around his neck and was found half-conscious by his parents in a room of their house Wednesday evening,” SHO Kokernag Kamaludin told Greater Kashmir.
He said the child was taken to sub-district hospital Duru where from he was shifted to district hospital Anantnag.
“After being provided initial treatment, he was referred to SMHS Srinagar but he succumbed on the way,” the SHO said.
He said that police have registered a case and inquest proceedings have been initiated under section 174 RPC.
“The villagers and the family did not allow us to conduct autopsy of the boy. However, there were clear strangulation marks on his neck and no other injury whatsoever,” SHO said.
He said that further investigations are underway to ascertain the cause of his death.
A police source said that preliminary investigations have suggested that the child was mentally disturbed for some time.
“He had tried to inflict self harm prior to this too by injuring his arm using a razor,” a source said.
There has been surge in suicide cases in Kashmir right since nineties with experts citing uncertain political situation as the major reason.
A sociological survey has shown that among those who have committed suicide, most were between the age group of 17 and 26 with 62 percent of them being women and girls but the child suicide cases have been rare.
According to psychiatrists, teenagers and children living in the valley are more vulnerable to psychiatric problems than those living in other parts of the state because of the pressures under which they live.
Further, the peer and parental pressure on children to do well in education, failure in examinations, unsuccessful love affairs, unhappy married and family life, frustration due to unemployment are some of the common reasons for suicide.
Ironically, due to social, moral and religious stigma, not many people suffering from mental ailments are able to either disclose their mental condition to the family or seek psychiatric help.